Effect of larval swimming in the western North Pacific subtropical gyre on the recruitment success of the Japanese eel

Chang, Yu-Lin K.; Miller, Michael J.; Tsukamoto, Katsumi; Miyazawa, Yasumasa

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208704

Cited by 17 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 81 publications

(142 reference statements)

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“…These fits between our model and observations of larval distribution are even stronger when assigning orientation and swimming skills to v-larvae. We therefore assume that swimming and orientation behaviors likely occur supporting previous findings and hypothesis 21 , 40 .…”

Section: Arguments and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

New clues on the Atlantic eels spawning behavior and area: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hypothesis

Chang

Feunteun

Miyazawa

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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The Sargasso Sea has long been considered as the only spawning area for Atlantic eels, despite the absence of direct observations. The present study raises a novel scenario, deviating from Schmidt’s dogma, begins with a review of historical and recent observations that were combined to build up a global theory on spawning ecology and migration behavior of Atlantic eels. From this, it is argued that a favorable spawning area could be located eastward of Sargasso Sea at the intersection between the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the oceanic fronts. Ocean circulation models combined with 3D particle-tracking method confirmed that spawning at this specific area would result in larval distribution fitting the field observation. This study explores the hypothesis that leptocephali are able to swim and orientate to reach their specific growth areas. It proposes a novel framework about spawning ecology, based on orientation, navigation and meeting cues of silver eels to the spawning area. Together this framework may serve as a stepping-stone for solving the long-lasting mystery of eel reproduction which first came out 2,400 years ago and promotes the understanding of oceanic migration and reproduction of marine organisms.

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Section: Arguments and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

New clues on the Atlantic eels spawning behavior and area: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hypothesis

Chang

Feunteun

Miyazawa

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…The NEC forms a zone of westward flow from about 10° to 20°N, which then bifurcates into northward Kuroshio and southward Mindanao Current flows [22, 23]. The eel larvae are carried primarily by the NEC and Kuroshio toward their growth habitats in East Asian rivers and estuaries, although it is possible that some active swimming occurs [5], which might increase recruitment success [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various effects were found, with especially the NEC and Kuroshio seeming to have some influence on recruitment success. While it is not known if the Japanese eel larvae use active swimming, it seems to be required for the larvae to swim to be able to cross out of the Kuroshio and reach recruitment areas, and transport modelling simulations suggest it may be able to increase recruitment success if it is used during various stages of the larval migration [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of ocean circulation and the Kuroshio large meander on the 2018 Japanese eel recruitment season

et al. 2019

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Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) recruitment to Japan was very low during the early 2017−2018 recruitment season when most glass eels are usually caught, but catches increased in the late recruitment season when recruitment usually decreases. Concurrently, the Kuroshio meander south of Japan had formed again after the previous event ended in 2005. The role of the large meander and ocean circulation features such as the North Equatorial Current (NEC) in the unusual 2017−2018 Japanese eel recruitment timing-pattern was investigated using a three-dimensional particle tracking model that simulated swimming behaviors of virtual larvae (v-larvae) in addition to their drift in ocean currents. Four recruitment seasons were selected for when the Kuroshio large meander was present (2004−2005, 2017−2018) or absent (2009−2010, 2015−2016), and when NEC was shifted north (2004−2005, 2015−2016) or south (2009−2010, 2017−2018). The simulated recruitment timing-patterns were similar to the actual recent-year recruitment, with no early recruitment period v-larvae arrival to southern Japan and increased late period recruitment occurring. Rather than being related to the presence of the Kuroshio large meander, the late arrival appeared to be caused by a southward shifted, weak North Equatorial Current near the spawning area, a longer Subtropical Countercurrent eddy region retention time, and a weak Kuroshio during the early migration and recruitment period of those years. In the late recruitment period, the Kuroshio was stronger than other selected years near the East China Sea and south of Japan and v-larvae were transported more rapidly. The Kuroshio large meander may influence local eel recruitment in Japan, and the recirculation formed by the large meander could potentially enhance recruitment to the Tokai region. Oriented (northwestward) swimming v-larvae were less affected by the large meander, and showed higher recruitment success than those using along-current swimming. Although the Kuroshio large meander did not seem to be responsible for the unusual recruitment pattern in 2018, how Japanese eel larvae and glass eels actually cross out of the Kuroshio and reach coastal waters in Japan remains to be explored.

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“…Any limited environmental changes may alter the original food web and alter the migration patterns of species, which would destroy the balance of the marine ecosystems (Doney et al, ). Changes in habitat environment caused by anthropogenic and ocean–atmosphere factors have been found to contribute to the decline of Anguilliformes species (Chang, Miller, Tsukamoto, & Miyazawa, ; Doney et al, ). There have been miscellaneous concerns on the apparent decline of populations and changes in spatial distributions of these commercial and recreational fish species especially in developing countries with limited regulations and heavy dependency on the fisheries in local economy (Harrison, Walker, Pinder, Briand, & Aprahamian, ; Heithaus, Frid, Wirsing, & Worm, ; Tanzer et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and ocean-atmosphere factors have been found to contribute to the decline of Anguilliformes species (Chang, Miller, Tsukamoto, & Miyazawa, 2018;Doney et al, 2011). There have been miscellaneous concerns on the apparent decline of populations and changes in spatial distributions of these commercial and recreational fish species especially in developing countries with limited regulations and heavy dependency on the fisheries in local economy (Harrison, Walker, Pinder, Briand, & Aprahamian, 2014;Heithaus, Frid, Wirsing, & Worm, 2008;Tanzer et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Population status and distribution of whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) in Yellow Sea: An important migratory species along coastal China with limited data

Jiao

et al. 2019

Fisheries Oceanography

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Whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) is a marine migratory species with important economic and ecological values in Northwestern Pacific. The population status and distribution of whitespotted conger may have changed in the eastern coastal water of China owing to the intensive fishing pressure and human activities in the past few decades. There have been miscellaneous concerns about its population trend and potential environment‐driven variations in spatiotemporal distribution. Delta‐generalized linear models, generalized linear mixed models, and a set of correlation analyses were performed to answer the above concerns, and a stratified random sampling‐designed bottom trawl survey from 2011 to 2017 in Haizhou Bay of the central Yellow Sea was conducted to collect samples. Our study suggested that whitespotted conger remained a relatively stable population status with slight fluctuations likely caused by climate variability during 2011–2017. The hierarchical generalized linear mixed models with spatial random effect performed better than the generalized linear model and the common generalized linear mixed models. Spatiotemporal differences of whitespotted conger were significantly associated with bottom water salinity, depth, sampling time, and space, which were probably mainly influenced by a combination of the Cold Water Mass, the Yellow Sea Warm Current, and the Yellow Sea Coastal Current. The predicted spatiotemporal distribution of whitespotted conger has a monthly variation matching its seasonable migration and an overall higher abundance in the deeper water than that in the neritic areas in Haizhou Bay.

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Effect of larval swimming in the western North Pacific subtropical gyre on the recruitment success of the Japanese eel

Cited by 17 publications

References 81 publications

New clues on the Atlantic eels spawning behavior and area: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hypothesis

New clues on the Atlantic eels spawning behavior and area: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hypothesis

Influence of ocean circulation and the Kuroshio large meander on the 2018 Japanese eel recruitment season

Population status and distribution of whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) in Yellow Sea: An important migratory species along coastal China with limited data

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